Think Atheist2015-03-03T23:15:30ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheisthttp://api.ning.com/files/ivj69U0teRSZImAEhCZVBLYq1VEDHyyiU5BhgYxbQ28*NP-4Y4hUojBdTbZzFSc36jbgHcZuRO5cqZeLGLNW8nSsBzLMzTlt/badgetacard.jpg?width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.thinkatheist.com/group/wildthings/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=16cd9zmxoijrb&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHumans and gorillas share genetic similaritiestag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Topic:11693052012-08-16T23:08:51.801ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
<h1>Humans and gorillas share genetic similarities</h1>
<h2>Humans are a lot closer to gorillas than appearances would suggest, scientists have found.</h2>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BRJZJzqTpgzzPsZPz7UvbNf5l7qgHBJ1CnT*pQH6TIu-s3U6xmTKc9vwfgskn-AwsDdE837h5IbEZOJhlUMTEoEejUVxMz2C/Gorillas_2161968b.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BRJZJzqTpgzzPsZPz7UvbNf5l7qgHBJ1CnT*pQH6TIu-s3U6xmTKc9vwfgskn-AwsDdE837h5IbEZOJhlUMTEoEejUVxMz2C/Gorillas_2161968b.jpg" width="620"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="caption">Gorillas in Virunga National Park</span> <span class="credit">Photo: ALAMY</span></p>
<p>A study has shown that across…</p>
<h1>Humans and gorillas share genetic similarities</h1>
<h2>Humans are a lot closer to gorillas than appearances would suggest, scientists have found.</h2>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BRJZJzqTpgzzPsZPz7UvbNf5l7qgHBJ1CnT*pQH6TIu-s3U6xmTKc9vwfgskn-AwsDdE837h5IbEZOJhlUMTEoEejUVxMz2C/Gorillas_2161968b.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/BRJZJzqTpgzzPsZPz7UvbNf5l7qgHBJ1CnT*pQH6TIu-s3U6xmTKc9vwfgskn-AwsDdE837h5IbEZOJhlUMTEoEejUVxMz2C/Gorillas_2161968b.jpg" width="620"/></a></p>
<p><span class="caption">Gorillas in Virunga National Park</span> <span class="credit">Photo: ALAMY</span></p>
<p>A study has shown that across 15% of their genetic code, or genome, gorillas are more like humans than chimpanzees.</p>
<div class="secondPar"><p>In both, certain genes have also evolved at the same rate, research shows. They include genes for hearing, throwing into doubt theories linking the development of hearing and human language.</p>
</div>
<div class="thirdPar"><p>The findings emerge from the first completed genome sequence, or genetic "blueprint", of the gorilla.</p>
</div>
<div class="fourthPar"><p>Gorillas are the last of the living great apes to have their genetic codes mapped, allowing scientists to compare the genomes of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans.</p>
</div>
<div class="fifthPar"><p>The new research was chiefly based on DNA taken from Kamilah, a female western lowland gorilla.</p>
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<div class="body"><p>Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, searched more than 11,000 genes in the gorilla, human and chimpanzee looking for important evolutionary differences.</p>
<p>In all three species, genes related to sensory perception, hearing and brain development showed accelerated evolution. But this was especially true for humans and gorillas.</p>
<p>Dr Chris Tyler-Smith, senior author of the research published in the journal Nature, said: "Our most significant findings reveal not only differences between the species reflecting millions of years of evolutionary divergence, but also similarities in parallel changes over time since their common ancestor.</p>
<p>"We found that gorillas share many parallel genetic changes with humans including the evolution of our hearing.</p>
<p>"Scientists had suggested that the rapid evolution of human hearing genes was linked to the evolution of language.</p>
<p>"Our results cast doubt on this, as hearing genes have evolved in gorillas at a similar rate to those in humans."</p>
<p>Gorillas separated from humans and chimpanzees on the evolutionary path around 10 million years ago, the research showed.</p>
<p>A more gradual divergence between eastern and western gorillas occurred much more recently in the last million years or so.</p>
<p>This could be compared with the split between modern humans and Neanderthals, or chimpanzees and bonobos, said the scientists.</p>
<p>Co-author Dr Aylwyn Scally, also from the Sanger Institute, said: "The gorilla genome is important because it sheds light on the time when our ancestors diverged from our closest evolutionary cousins.</p>
<p>"It also lets us explore the similarities and differences between our genes and those of gorilla, the largest living primate.</p>
<p>"Using DNA from Kamilah, a female western lowland gorilla, we assembled a gorilla genome sequence and compared it with the genomes of the other great apes.</p>
<p>"We also sampled DNA sequences from other gorillas in order to explore genetic differences between gorilla species."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9130191/Humans-and-gorillas-share-genetic-similarities.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9130191/Humans-and-gorillas-share-genetic-similarities.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
</div> The dark side of elephants???tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-23:1982180:Topic:11054582012-04-23T02:08:07.433ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
<p>I am currently rewatching a NATGEO program about Indian elephants (2005) that shows elephants attacking people and raiding crops in large groups. It makes me wonder, are the animals finally riasing up against the idea that man has domaine over the earth and the animals. We are destorying their planet and ours; they are just happen to be smart enough to know it.</p>
<p>I am currently rewatching a NATGEO program about Indian elephants (2005) that shows elephants attacking people and raiding crops in large groups. It makes me wonder, are the animals finally riasing up against the idea that man has domaine over the earth and the animals. We are destorying their planet and ours; they are just happen to be smart enough to know it.</p> Is it possible to love animals more than your fellow human beings?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2011-03-13:1982180:Topic:5818882011-03-13T03:54:53.384ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
This question has been going through my mind of late. Case in point: I regularly listen to the news and am absolutely appalled to hear of animal abuse stories whereby innocent animals suffer and die at the hands of their supposed protectors. I would feel such anger at the perpetrators, and consequently break out in tears. However, if I should hear, for example, a horrific story of a family dying in a house fire, yes, I would feel sorrow over such a tragedy but it would not be of the same…
This question has been going through my mind of late. Case in point: I regularly listen to the news and am absolutely appalled to hear of animal abuse stories whereby innocent animals suffer and die at the hands of their supposed protectors. I would feel such anger at the perpetrators, and consequently break out in tears. However, if I should hear, for example, a horrific story of a family dying in a house fire, yes, I would feel sorrow over such a tragedy but it would not be of the same magnitude. I've owned pets just about my entire life and they mean the world to me. I have trouble walking into pet stores because I can't bear to see cats and dogs in cages being put up for sale. Btw, I'm not a misanthropist and I do show a great deal of compassion and kindness to all (even amongst the theists). Should this be a cause of concern? The Arabian oryx conservation programme in the KSAtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2011-02-14:1982180:Topic:5261122011-02-14T13:45:40.723ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-6"><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/Index.html" target="_blank">The Arabian oryx conservation programme in the KSA</a> </span> </span> </span></strong><strong><span class="font-size-3"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3"><img alt="Arabian oryx" class="panomaricview" src="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/images/MAS16687xer.jpg"></img></span></strong></p>
<p><strong>T</strong><strong>he source &gt;…</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-6"><span class="font-size-4"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/Index.html">The Arabian oryx conservation programme in the KSA</a> </span> </span> </span></strong><strong><span class="font-size-3"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3"><img src="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/images/MAS16687xer.jpg" alt="Arabian oryx" class="panomaricview"/></span></strong></p>
<p><strong>T</strong><strong>he source &gt;</strong> <span><span><strong><span><span class="font-size-2">conservation programme for Arabian oryx &gt; <a href="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/Index.html">http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/Index.html</a> </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-2"> </span></span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> Many species of wild anim</span><span class="font-size-3">als have distinct physiological and ecological advantages over traditional domesticated livestock species in arid and semi-arid ar eas. Amongst the most significant are an ability to thrive in the absence of surface water (by movement in time and space), to make optimal use of vegetative resources and their minimal impact on the environment. They also have disease-tolerant, heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant attributes and their reproductive characteristics are more efficient.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The Arabian Oryx, a charismatic white antelope, once roamed throughout most of the desert plains of the Arabian Peninsula. Unfortunately oryx was hunted to extinction in the 1970s. Humans had exterminated from the wild a beautiful and distinctive antelope, which had evolved to exploit one of the worlds' harshest environments. Hunter-gatherers have existed in arid zones from pre-historic times. Harvesting, processing and utilization of wildlife products that include oryx, gazelle, houbara and other formed the basis of their livelihoods. Since the advent of four wheel drive vehicles, it became easier for people to chase and poach oryx and other animals even on sand dunes. These days oryx are not hunted for food but for sport as the animal provide challenge for hunters and that lead to extinction of many species in the wild.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">In Saudi Arabia Oryx conservation and restoration programme was started in 1986 by the National Wildlife Research Center (<a href="http://www.nwrc.gov.sa/">NWRC</a>) under the Saudi Wildlife Commission (SWC), formerly National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncwcd.gov.sa/">NCWCD</a>). Concurrent conservation programmes for the protection of large areas within the former range of the Arabian Oryx, and the captive breeding of Oryx at the NWRC in Taif have together enabled the restoration of the species in the Kingdom: a first reintroduction took place in the fenced <a href="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/en/mahazat.html">Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area</a> in 1990 and in 1995 the second free-ranging population of Oryx in the world was established in the unfenced <a href="http://www.arabian-oryx.gov.sa/en/ubm.html">'Uruq Bani Ma'arid</a> in the "Empty Quarter".</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Till 2006, Uruq Bani Ma’arid protected area was the only place where free-ranging oryx population existed and Mahazat as-Sayd protected area has more than 500 oryx. Species management plan has been drafted to manage the population of Arabian oryx and other ungulates as per the carrying capacity of the protected area.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Re-introduction programmes of Arabian Oryx were selected from the populations which were identical to the same species which had been exterminated. Founders were obtained from areas where the environment is as harsh as the introduction sites.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Released animals were marked with suitable tags for identification and fitted with radio collars to enable them to be relocated after release. The post-release progress of oryx has been carefully monitored and the information gained from early releases utilized in planning subsequent attempts where appropriate</span></p> Interspecies Lovetag:www.thinkatheist.com,2011-02-06:1982180:Topic:5171772011-02-06T02:11:02.009ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
<p>February 5, 2011</p>
<p>Why Evolution is True</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The huge publicity about the evidence for mating between “modern” <em>Homo sapiens</em> and Neandertals shows me that people are fascinated with inter-specific (or inter-subspecific) love. After all, isn’t that what King Kong was about? Sunday’s <em>New York Times</em> reviews another Kongish book,…</span></p>
<p>February 5, 2011</p>
<p>Why Evolution is True</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">The huge publicity about the evidence for mating between “modern” <em>Homo sapiens</em> and Neandertals shows me that people are fascinated with inter-specific (or inter-subspecific) love. After all, isn’t that what King Kong was about? Sunday’s <em>New York Times</em> reviews another Kongish book, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/books/review/Beha-t.html?ref=books"><em>The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore</em>,</a>by Benjamin Hale.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">As related by reviewer Christopher Beha, the plot seems bizarre. The narrator, Bruno Littlemore, isn’t human:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">Specifically, he is a chimpanzee, raised in the primate house at the Lincoln Park Zoo and then, after his unusual intelligence is discovered, in the University of Chicago’s Behavioral Biology Laboratory. There he learns the ways and eventually the words of Homo sapiens<em>,</em> beginning with the nod, the head shake and the wave. “With these three signs,” Bruno notes, “you can say to anyone <em>yes, no, harm, no harm, hello</em> and <em>goodbye.</em> Add to these the smile, the frown and the finger point, and you’re practically already in basic-human-social-interaction business.”</span></p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">At <em>our</em> university! The genius ape falls in love with his keeper, primatologist Lydia Littlemore, which begins a tempestuous affair that includes sexual congress between woman and chimp. Apparently, though, salaciousness is not the point here:</span></p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">And the depictions of interspecies love are certainly discomfiting, but not for the reasons you might imagine. Ultimately, the point of these scenes is not to shock us but to ask what fundamentally makes us human, what differences inhere between a creature like Lydia and a creature like Bruno that disqualify the latter from the full range of human affection. In a twist that sounds heavy-handed when summarized but is expertly managed, Lydia suffers an illness that leaves her helpless and aphasic, reduced to her animal self, making the differences between the two seem even more superficial, and their need for each other even more moving.</span></p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">Well, maybe. Despite Beha’s positive review, I’m not running to the bookstore for this one.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">In fact, Hale’s novel is so stuffed with allusions high and low, so rich with philosophical and literary interest, that a reviewer risks making it sound ponderous or unwelcoming. So let’s get this out of the way: “The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore” is an absolute pleasure. Much of its pleasure comes from the book’s voice. “You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style,” Humbert tells us, and Bruno certainly obliges.</span></p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;" class="font-size-3">Perhaps someone who’s read this book can report back.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-28002" href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/interspecies-love/draft_lens16927751module144192441photo_1293839332the_kiss_-_the_planet_of_/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28002 align-center" title="draft_lens16927751module144192441photo_1293839332the_kiss_-_the_planet_of_" src="http://whyevolutionistrue.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/draft_lens16927751module144192441photo_1293839332the_kiss_-_the_planet_of_.jpg?w=164&amp;h=205" width="164" height="205"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/interspecies-love/">http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/interspecies-love/</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Do Chimpanzees Mourn Their Dead Infants?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2011-02-03:1982180:Topic:5145412011-02-03T05:36:04.856ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
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<div class="leaderboard" id="sciencedaily_leaderboard"><img src="http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/loading.gif"></img> <em>Chimpanzee mothers' behaviour at her dead infant.</em> <em> …</em></div>
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<div id="sciencedaily_leaderboard" class="leaderboard"><img src="http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/loading.gif"/><em>Chimpanzee mothers' behaviour at her dead infant.</em> <em> </em></div>
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<p><span class="date">ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2011)</span> — For the first time, researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands report in detail how a chimpanzee mother responds to the death of her infant. The chimpanzee mother shows behaviours not typically seen directed toward live infants, such as placing her fingers against the neck and laying the infant's body on the ground to watch it from a distance. The observations of Katherine Cronin and her team provide unique insights into how chimpanzees, one of humans' closest primate relatives, learn about death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their commentary appears online in the <em>American Journal of Primatology</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The research team conducted their observations at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust in Zambia, where wild-born chimpanzees who have been rescued from illegal trade live in the largest social groups and enclosures in the world. Dr. Katherine Cronin and Edwin Van Leeuwen of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics collaborated with Innocent Chitalu Mulenga of Chimfunshi and Dr. Mark Bodamer, a professor of Psychology at Gonzaga University in Washington State, USA.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Close relationship</strong></p>
<p>Chimpanzee mothers typically are in close contact with their offspring for several years, carrying them almost continuously for two years and nursing until they are four to six years old. The close relationship between the mother and offspring continues for several years after weaning, and is one of the most important relationships in chimpanzee life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Premature death</strong></p>
<p>Cronin and her colleagues observed the behaviour that a female chimpanzee expressed toward her 16-month-old infant who had recently died. After carrying the infant's dead body for more than a day, the mother laid the body out on the ground in a clearing and repeatedly approached the body and held her fingers against the infant's face and neck for multiple seconds. She remained near the body for nearly an hour, then carried it over to a group of chimpanzees and watched them investigate the body. The next day, the mother was no longer carrying the body of the infant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nearly nothing is known about how primates react to death of close individuals, what they understand about death, and whether they mourn. The MPI researchers therefore believe to have reported a unique transitional period as the mother learned about the death of her infant, a process never before reported in detail. But they largely refrain from interpretation, while providing extensive video to allow viewers the opportunity to judge for themselves what chimpanzees understand about death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'The videos are extremely valuable, because they force one to stop and think about what might be happening in the minds of other primates', Cronin says. 'Whether a viewer ultimately decides that the chimpanzee is mourning, or simply curious about the corpse, is not nearly as important as people taking a moment to consider the possibilities.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Mother-infant bond</strong></p>
<p>Previous reports have documented chimpanzee mothers carrying their deceased young for days or weeks, demonstrating that the severing of the mother-infant bond is incredibly difficult for chimpanzees. The current research complements these observations and sheds new light on how chimpanzees might learn about death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'These data contribute to a small but growing body of data on how nonhuman primates respond to death. We hope these objective accounts will continue to accumulate and eventually allow researchers to take a comprehensive look at the extent to which nonhuman primate understand death, and how they respond to it.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>
<blockquote>The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by Science<em>Daily</em> staff) from materials provided by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mpi.nl/" rel="nofollow" class="blue"><strong><span id="source">Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics</span></strong></a>.</blockquote>
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<blockquote><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110127160441.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110127160441.htm</a></blockquote> : Dolphin stays for three days with mate wounded in shark attack - before escorting it to humans for helptag:www.thinkatheist.com,2011-01-28:1982180:Topic:5092752011-01-28T13:27:14.073ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
<h1><span class="font-size-2">By <a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&amp;authornamef=Richard+Shears" rel="nofollow">Richard Shears</a></span><br></br> <span class="font-size-2">Last updated at 8:57 AM on 18th February 2009</span></h1>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><br></br></span></p>
<p>A dolphin badly injured in a shark attack has been escorted by a mate into the care of human hands.</p>
<p>Nari sustained a hideous wound across his head and back, and when he went…</p>
<h1><span class="font-size-2">By <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&amp;authornamef=Richard+Shears" class="author" rel="nofollow">Richard Shears</a></span><br/> <span class="font-size-2">Last updated at 8:57 AM on 18th February 2009</span></h1>
<p><span class="font-size-2"><br/></span></p>
<p>A dolphin badly injured in a shark attack has been escorted by a mate into the care of human hands.</p>
<p>Nari sustained a hideous wound across his head and back, and when he went missing, wildlife experts feared he had died.</p>
<p>The 12-year-old dolphin failed to turn up for his ritual feeding off the coast of Queensland - but so did his older companion Echo.</p>
<p> </p>
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<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038D723D000005DC-649_468x286_popup.jpg" class="lightboxPopupLink"><span class="clickToEnlargeTop">Enlarge</span> <span class="clickToEnlarge"> </span> <span class="clickToEnlargeButton"> </span> <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038D723D000005DC-649_468x286.jpg" alt="Chunks of Nari's neck were literally bitten off as his flesh was torn right down to the muscle by the shark in these horrific injuries" class="blkBorder" width="468" height="286"/></a><br/>
<p class="imageCaption"> </p>
<p class="imageCaption">Chunks of Nari's neck were literally bitten off as his flesh was torn right down to the muscle by the shark in these horrific injuries</p>
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<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038CAE49000005DC-945_468x378.jpg" alt="Nari the dolphin with Tangalooma Island Resort and Sea World staff after being attacked by a shark" class="blkBorder" width="468" height="378"/><br/>
<p class="imageCaption"> </p>
<p class="imageCaption">Nari the dolphin suffered horrific injuries to his head and back and is being cared for by wildlife staff in Queensland</p>
<p>But after three days the pair turned up with the rest of the group.</p>
<p>Mr Trevor Long, a dolphin expert from Sea World on the Gold Coast, said: 'We didn't see Nari again until the third day, when he turned up with Echo at his side.</p>
<p>'Dolphins are highly social animals and they have an extremely strong bond. There is no reason to think other than that Echo stayed with Nari for a few days, waiting until Nari was well enough to make it back to the feeding area.</p>
<p>'The fact that Echo failed to show up when the injured Nari was also absent suggests they remained together further out to sea for a few days.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038CB565000005DC-818_468x193.jpg" alt="Nari was looked after and helped to safety by his friend Echo, above" class="blkBorder" width="468" height="193"/></p>
<p class="imageCaption"> </p>
<p class="imageCaption">Nari was looked after and helped to safety by his friend Echo, above</p>
<p>It has now also emerged that Echo's sympathy for Nari may stem from an incident in 1996 when Echo was himself attacked by a shark.</p>
<p>What has thrilled wildlife experts even more is the trust that Nari has appeared to put in the humans who were able to lift him without a struggle into a boat and take him to the mainland to be treated by vets.</p>
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<p>'It was a pretty bumpy ride back to the shore, but Nari remained calm all the way,' said Mr Long. 'It was as if he was putting his trust in us.</p>
<p>'We were very concerned about him when he failed to turn up last week but he's in good hands now.</p>
<p>'The injury is quite severe - the bite went right through the skin, flesh and blubber down to the muscle and Nari's pretty sore.</p>
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<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038D7240000005DC-583_468x360_popup.jpg" class="lightboxPopupLink"><span class="clickToEnlargeTop">Enlarge</span> <span class="clickToEnlarge"> </span> <span class="clickToEnlargeButton"> </span> <img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/02/17/article-1147687-038D7240000005DC-583_468x360.jpg" alt="Trainers work with Nari in the water" class="blkBorder" width="468" height="360"/></a><br/>
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<p class="imageCaption">Trainers work with Nari in the water</p>
<p>'We're going to cut out the large piece of flesh that has been ripped by the shark and treat him in a special quarantine pool at Sea World.</p>
<p>'Then it will be a case of the wound healing from the inside out.</p>
<p>We're got high hopes he'll recover and then we'll release him back into the wild where we're sure his friend Echo will be waiting for him.'</p>
<p>The pod of 13 wild dolphins come for a nightly hand-feeding ritual by wildlife officers and tourists who greet them each evening on the coast of Moreton Island, near Brisbane.</p>
<p>Nari's terrible injury was first noticed on Friday when he showed up for the feed.</p>
<p>Wildlife officials who were with tourists tossing small fish to them were horrified to see the wound, which bore all the marks of a ferocious shark attack.</p>
<p>It is unclear what species of shark was responsible but the nature of the wound suggested that after taking an initial bite into Nari's head, the shark then gnawed at the wound to try and tear off the flesh.</p>
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<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;">: <a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1147687/Dolphin-stays-days-mate-wounded-shark-attack--escorting-humans-help.html#ixzz1CKu4ugkj">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1147687/Dolphin-stays-days-mate-wounded-shark-attack--escorting-humans-help.html#ixzz1CKu4ugkj</a></div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br/><a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1147687/Dolphin-stays-days-mate-wounded-shark-attack--escorting-humans-help.html#ixzz1CKtrL2S1"><br/></a></div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br/><a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1147687/Dolphin-stays-days-mate-wounded-shark-attack--escorting-humans-help.html#ixzz1CKtMmQGY"><br/></a></div> Cute But Dangerous Animals (PHOTOS)tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2010-12-06:1982180:Topic:4448542010-12-06T23:05:08.529ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
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The Huffington Post <br></br>
Alden Wicker<br></br>
Posted: 12- 4-10<br></br>
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As much as we would like to think the whole world is our playground, many animals simply do not agree. They are deceptively cuddly, furry, cute and wee, but these animals employ a variety of defense mechanisms that will - at the very least - make you think twice about giving them a pat on their head.<br></br>
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From seals to caterpillars to primates, check out these adorable animals to stay far, far away from.…
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The Huffington Post <br/>
Alden Wicker<br/>
Posted: 12- 4-10<br/>
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As much as we would like to think the whole world is our playground, many animals simply do not agree. They are deceptively cuddly, furry, cute and wee, but these animals employ a variety of defense mechanisms that will - at the very least - make you think twice about giving them a pat on their head.<br/>
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From seals to caterpillars to primates, check out these adorable animals to stay far, far away from. <br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Platypus</span><br/>
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<img class="sfajax_image" id="slide_image_14064" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/14064/slide_14064_193401_large.jpg?1291676513776" name="slide_image_14064" width="550" height="400"/><br/>
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<br/> The charm of the platypus lies in its unlikely assembly of body parts – its duckbill, webbed feet, furry body, and beaver-like tail.<br/>
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But you wouldn’t find a male platypus so charming if it struck you with its venomous spur located on its leg. Although the venom is not deadly, it causes immediate excruciating pain that develops into long term heightened sensitivity to pain.<br/>
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Fortunately, the platypus is a shy creature that doesn’t seek out and attack humans.<br/><br/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">Check Out the 13 Other Dangerous Animals <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/04/deceptively-cute-and-dang_n_789216.html#s193401">HERE:</a></span><br/><br/><br/> Gratitude: Uniquely Human or Shared with Animals?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2010-12-03:1982180:Topic:4401402010-12-03T13:11:52.288ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
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Posted on: December 1, 2010 <br></br>
by Jason G. Goldman<br></br>
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<img alt="http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/assets_c/2010/11/foodsharing_chimpanzee-thumb-500x262-58535.jpg" src="http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/assets_c/2010/11/foodsharing_chimpanzee-thumb-500x262-58535.jpg"></img> <br></br>
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"Two chimps had been shut out of their shelter by mistake during a cold rain storm. They were standing dejeted, water streaming down their shivering bodies, when Professor Köhler chanced to pass." Upon opening the door for the two chimps, Dr. James Leuba recounts, "instead of scampering in without more ado, as many a child would have done, each of them delayed entering the warm shelter long enough to…
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Posted on: December 1, 2010 <br/>
by Jason G. Goldman<br/>
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<img alt="http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/assets_c/2010/11/foodsharing_chimpanzee-thumb-500x262-58535.jpg" src="http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/assets_c/2010/11/foodsharing_chimpanzee-thumb-500x262-58535.jpg"/><br/>
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"Two chimps had been shut out of their shelter by mistake during a cold rain storm. They were standing dejeted, water streaming down their shivering bodies, when Professor Köhler chanced to pass." Upon opening the door for the two chimps, Dr. James Leuba recounts, "instead of scampering in without more ado, as many a child would have done, each of them delayed entering the warm shelter long enough to throw its arms around his benefactor in a frenzy of satisfaction."<br/>
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"Chimpanzees," primatologist Frans de Waal points out, "do not normally hug their caretakers for no reason." It's a compelling image, isn't it? The idea that at least some animals might be capable of feeling and communicating gratitude? If we wish to make an argument that some animals possess at least some sort of proto-gratitude, or the cognitive building blocks required for them to feel and express gratitude, we first have to decide what gratitude really means.<br/>
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Impala are large antelopes native to Africa that groom eachother. Grooming exchanges among African impala are usually unsolicited: one individual grooms the neck of a second individual, and then the second individual returns the favor, and grooms the first individual for an equivalent amoung of time. Hart and Hart suggested that this mutual grooming behavior serves to remove ticks from parts of the body that an individual can't reach itself.<br/>
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Vampire bats, as you might expect, survive only on blood, and most feed at least once every three days. And while adult vampire bats regularly miss meals, they need not worry, as other individuals will regurgitate blood to feed them.<br/>
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While the impala and vampire bat examples are interesting, they can be explained by much a simpler mechanism than gratitude: symmetry-based reciprocity. That is, "if members of a species preferentially direct favors to close associates, the distribution of favors will automatically be reciprocal due to the symmetrical nature of association." In other words, the mutual back-scratching of the impala and blood-vomiting of the vampire bat could simply be correlational: individuals who hang out together will tend to engage in reciprocal interactions, but only because they tend to hang out together. These sorts of interactions do not require any sophisticated mental computation for directing repayment only at certain individuals or for keeping track of services received and rendered over time.<br/>
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Perhaps it seems like your adopted dog or cat pays special attention to you, perhaps in gratitude for his or her rescue? Bonnie and de Waal write:<br/>
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Even though we have all heard of (and the authors have personal experience with) pets adopted from a miserable stray existence into the comfort of modern homes, it is possible to tell if their greater-than-average appreciation (e.g. tail wagging, purring) of our care and food has anything to do with gratitude. The simpler alternative is that, after prolonged deprivation, there is a constrast effect that lasts a lifetime, making these animals show greater-than-average expressions of pleasure at receiving a full bowl of food. In humans, no one would confuse pleasure with gratitude. On the other hand, if the pleasure is expressed in a personal manner, aimed specifically at the individual who delivers it, are not we getting closer to gratitude?<br/>
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De Waal observed the common exchange of food for grooming among chimpanzees in order to determine if the trade of food for grooming is simply the result of proximity (as in the impala or vampire bat), or good feelings (as in the adopted domestic dog), or if it is somehow more computationally intensive, such as requiring the ability to direct reciprocity at specific individuals.<br/>
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Bundles of leaves and branches were placed into the chimpanzee enclosures after the researchers had identified the patterns of grooming on a specific day. The adult chimps were more likely to share food with individuals who had groomed them earlier that same day. Since the chimps shared their food only with their former grooming partners instead of with just anyone, de Waal reasoned, chimps must keep track of favors given and received, and they must be able to distinguish among different social partners. This form of reciprocity, then, is driven by more than just a good mood.<br/>
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In another experiment, primatologists Seyfarth and Cheney played recordings of vervet monkey calls and measured the reaction of recently groomed individuals. The type of vocalization that they used was a call used to threaten enemies and to solicit the support of friends, in antipation of a conflict. When the recording was of a previous grooming partner, vervet monkeys paid more attention than when the recordings were of other individuals.<br/>
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Taken together, these studies indicate that some non-human primates have the long-term memory abilities required for gratitude, as well as the ability to distinguish among individuals. These abilities may be necessary for gratitude, but are they sufficient?<br/>
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But if gratitude is, as Bonnie and de Waal write, the "glue and lubricant" of human society, then there is one more prerequisite for gratitude: obligation. That is, upon receiving a favor, one must not only desire to repay it, but must be obligated to do so. To not do so would represent a social transgression, worthy of punishment. Indeed, a study of humans by Fehr and Gachter indicated that without the possibility for punishment, the cycle of cooperation breaks down. They interpret this finding as evidence that "altruistic punishment is a key force in the establishment of human cooperation, [and that their] study indicates that there is more at work in sustaining human cooperation" than is offered by mechanisms like kin selection or reciprocal altruism. It is possible, Bonnie and de Waal argue, that "gratitude appears to provide [for cooperation] support from one end, whereas punishment and retribution drive it from the other."<br/>
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Do animals have gratitude? I think its still an open question. But it is clear that some animals, such as chimpanzees and other non-human primates, seem to possess at least a more basic form of proto-gratitude, based on their ability to keep track of favors given to and received from different individuals.<br/>
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<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/2010/12/gratitude_uniquely_human_or_sh.php">http://scienceblogs.com/thoughtfulanimal/2010/12/gratitude_uniquely_human_or_sh.php</a><br/>
<br/> The Beakiest Birdtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2010-11-29:1982180:Topic:4353182010-11-29T00:11:27.818ZA Former Memberhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DallasGaytheist
I photographed a specimen of the South American sword-billed hummingbird, Ensifera ensifera, in the bird collection at the Universidad de Los Andes, using a pen for scale. The bird is found throughout the northern Andes, and is the only species in the genus Ensifera.<br></br>
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Most important, it’s the only living bird whose beak (3.5 to 4 inches long) is longer than the rest of its body (ca. 2-3 inches)!…<br></br>
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I photographed a specimen of the South American sword-billed hummingbird, Ensifera ensifera, in the bird collection at the Universidad de Los Andes, using a pen for scale. The bird is found throughout the northern Andes, and is the only species in the genus Ensifera.<br/>
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Most important, it’s the only living bird whose beak (3.5 to 4 inches long) is longer than the rest of its body (ca. 2-3 inches)!<br/>
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<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-23494" href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-beakiest-bird/sword-billed-hummingbirdjpg/"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23494" title="Sword-billed hummingbirdJPG" src="http://whyevolutionistrue.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/sword-billed-hummingbirdjpg.jpg?w=500&amp;h=375" alt="" width="500" height="375"/></a></p>
<br/> Here’s a skeleton of the bird, showing how disproportionately long the bill is. Wikipedia reports (and there’s verification in a video below) “since the Sword-billed Hummingbird’s beak is very long, it grooms itself with its feet”.<br/>
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<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-23501" href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-beakiest-bird/swordbillskelfull/"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23501" title="swordbillskelFull" src="http://whyevolutionistrue.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/swordbillskelfull.jpg?w=500&amp;h=357" alt="" width="500" height="357"/></a></p>
<br/> You’ve certainly guessed that the long bill is an adaptation for feeding. These birds feed largely on passionflowers (Passiflora), which have long corolla tubes that contain the nectar. The birds approach these pendant flowers from below, deftly inserting their beak like so [note: as several alert commenters note below, the flower shown is not Passiflora but Brugmansia]:<br/>
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<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-23514" href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-beakiest-bird/photo-1/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23514" title="photo-1" src="http://whyevolutionistrue.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/photo-1.jpg?w=346&amp;h=520" alt="" width="346" height="520"/></a></p>
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The paper by Lindberg and Olesen (citation below) strongly suggests that these birds are also important pollinators of Passiflora, since they carry pollen on their beaks from flower to flower. But the authors also warn that their specialization on one genus of flower, and the increasing habitat fragmentation in the Andes, may put these birds on the verge of extinction.<br/>
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There are some lovely videos and photos of this bird at The Internet IBC bird collection, including a female supping from a feeder and another female using her feet to groom herself. Arkive has another grooming video and a marvelous video of feeding from a Passiflora.<br/>
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Hummingbirds are truly the jewels of the avian world, and display some of the most remarkable adaptations seen in animals. I am always amazed at seeing how these birds hover, absolutely rock still, while they feed. No helicopter is as agile. And how some of these nectar-guzzling species make a 600-mile nonstop journey across the Gulf of Mexico—20 hours of straight flight—is beyond belief.<br/>
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Here are a few words, and some dramatic videos, about how the PBS film “Hummingbirds” was made (I haven’t seen it).<br/>
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<a href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-beakiest-bird/">http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-beakiest-bird/</a><br/>
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